1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an amorphous alloy having high hardness and strength, excellent ductility, high corrosion resistance, and excellent workability, and a process for preparing the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional Zr-based alloys having specified alloy compositions causes glass transition before crystallization, have a wide supercooled liquid region, and have a high capability of forming an amorphous phase. Since these alloys have such a high amorphizing capability, they become amorphous not only by any method wherein a high cooling rate can be secured like a liquid quenching method, but also by any ordinary casting method wherein the cooling rate is slow like a copper mold casting method, whereby tough bulk amorphous alloys can be prepared. When, however, a quenched tough thin strip formed by, for example, the liquid quenching method is heated at a temperature around the crystallization temperature thereof to precipitate crystals, the toughness thereof is deteriorated so that it can hardly be subjected to 180.degree. contact bending. On the other hand, according to the copper mold casting method, a good amorphous bulk can be formed when cooled at a given or higher cooling rate, while the toughness thereof is deteriorated when the cooling rate is lowered to precipitate crystals.